May 6th: Lee Litif and Mark Hänser Feature at Stone Soup

Stone Soup Poetry meets from 8-10 p.m. every Monday at the Out of The Blue Art Gallery at 106 Prospect Street with an open mike sign-up at 7:30 p.m.  On May 6th, rescheduled in the wake of April 15th, we welcome back Stone Soup's most controversial feature ever Lee Litif with his new opening feature, Mark Hänser.

The most infamous open miker at the venue. Lee Litif has been a regular contribution to the Stone Soup open mike since 1991. He's the author of several chapbooks, including Unpatriotic Flags and Abominating White Houses, Reckless Paella and Defecating Republicans, and Ultrasonic Amplifiers and Marshall Amps/Genital Wart Puking Rednecks. He's been described as "The love child of Gallagher and Larry Fischer with G.G. Allin as midwife" by Chad Parenteau and "the orgasm that never quite made it," by Walter Howard.

Mark Hänser may have come from Neptune. Or more likely, he was a changeling left by celluloid fairies in a basket filled with orange blooms beneath a starry Southern California sky. Then later to be reared beneath barren maple trees underneath a Berkshire sky of Maxfield Parrish blue. The bastard love child of judy Garland and Dr. Seuss, Mark Hänser – as a painter and poet and a performer — draws his inspiration from pop culture, the tragically romantic, the romantically tragic, and the absurd. In his performing guise as the Whore of Babylon, Mark was a well-known presence in the Boston poetry scene. But the Babylonian had to be slain as the millenium came, and Mark fled to Neptune. But now he's back, with tales from the ether!

April 29th: Scott Jacobs Features at Stone Soup

Stone Soup Poetry meets from 8-10 p.m. every Monday at the Out of The Blue Art Gallery at 106 Prospect Street with an open mike sign-up at 7:30 p.m.  On April 29th, we close out Stone Soup's celebration of National Poetry Month with a feature by Scott Jacobs, one of the organizers of the popular Zig Zag open mic in Salem.

Scott Jacobs lives in Salem MA. He has been published in Word Riot & ZigZagFolios. He is a bricklayer.

April 22nd: The Pentimenti Women's Writing Group Features at Stone Soup

Stone Soup Poetry meets from 8-10 p.m. every Monday at the Out of The Blue Art Gallery at 106 Prospect Street with an open mike sign-up at 7:30 p.m.  On April 22d, we welcome an extended storytelling session with the Pentimenti women's Writing Group.

Four years ago a group of women in Dorchester began meeting on Saturday mornings at 450 Washington to write their stories. Some were working on poetry, others memoirs, novels, essays, or short fiction, but they all committed to finding their voices and telling their stories – and to helping one another to do that as well. That’s why they called our first collection of writing, “Can You Hear Our Voices?”

Over the years, the members of the group have changed, some women have moved on and new people have joined us, but the core commitment to honesty and self-expression – and to a caring, nurturing community – has remained steadfast.

Several years ago we took the name “Pentimenti,” which refers to “an underlying image in a painting, as an earlier painting, part of a painting, or original draft, that shows through, usually when the top layer of paint has become transparent with age.” The name reflects the process we are exploring, uncovering our histories, our stories, and our selves.


JENNIE P. BARNETT: Jennie lives in Dorchester and works full time as an Administrative Assistant. An avid gardener, she is without a garden right now but is making up for it by focusing on growing her writing and learning to "hear" her voice.

CAROL D. CARTER: Carol was born in Boston and lives in Dorchester. She received her BFA from Mass College of Art with a degree in Painting and Art Education. She also studied music at the University of Mass, Boston, and worked as a professional singer and musician. She has won awards in painting and wrote an art program, “Splashes of Color,” for children and adults. She is now writing her memoirs and a novel about a sailor/fishermen. She started writing when she was a young child but always hid her writings because she was afraid of being called a “storyteller.” In her young mind, that meant she was a terrible liar.

CAROL DOWD-DICKERSON: Carol has been a word-weaver and storyteller since she was very young. An educator with Boston Public Schools she has introduced new people, places, and things to her students by teaching them to read, as well as, how to perform the written word. Her current group of fourth and fifth graders, “The Joseph Lee Poet Posse,” have performed their own poetry. Carol’s poetry is as varied as her taste in great writers that range from Dorothy West, Langston Hughes, Pablo Neruda, and William Butler Yeats. Her poems are being published in the WriteOnTheDot Vol II collection. She is currently writing a novel and has the beginnings of a play taking form.

HEIDI LEWIS IVEY: Heidi is a revivalist, teacher and writer. Her writing has been influenced by Nikki Giovanni, Zora Neal-Hurston and Gwendolyn Brooks. Heidi's autobiography in poetic expression is scheduled to be released later this year. She hosts the In My Fathers House radio broadcast on Boston Praise Radio and lives in Dorchester.

4/15/13 Stone Soup Cancelled!

Friends:

In the wake of the Boston Marathon tragedy, I am cancelling tonight's Stone Soup feature with Lee Litif and Mark Hanser.  This is the best move to guarantee everyone's safety in this stressful time.

April 15th: Lee Litif and Mark Hänser Feature at Stone Soup

Stone Soup Poetry meets from 8-10 p.m. every Monday at the Out of The Blue Art Gallery at 106 Prospect Street with an open mike sign-up at 7:30 p.m.  On April 15th, we welcome back Stone Soup's most controversial feature ever Lee Litif with his new opening feature, Mark Hänser.

The most infamous open miker at the venue. Lee Litif has been a regular contribution to the Stone Soup open mike since 1991. He's the author of several chapbooks, including Unpatriotic Flags and Abominating White Houses, Reckless Paella and Defecating Republicans, and Ultrasonic Amplifiers and Marshall Amps/Genital Wart Puking Rednecks. He's been described as "The love child of Gallagher and Larry Fischer with G.G. Allin as midwife" by Chad Parenteau and "the orgasm that never quite made it," by Walter Howard.

Mark Hänser may have come from Neptune. Or more likely, he was a changeling left by celluloid fairies in a basket filled with orange blooms beneath a starry Southern California sky. Then later to be reared beneath barren maple trees underneath a Berkshire sky of Maxfield Parrish blue. The bastard love child of judy Garland and Dr. Seuss, Mark Hänser – as a painter and poet and a performer — draws his inspiration from pop culture, the tragically romantic, the romantically tragic, and the absurd. In his performing guise as the Whore of Babylon, Mark was a well-known presence in the Boston poetry scene. But the Babylonian had to be slain as the millenium came, and Mark fled to Neptune. But now he's back, with tales from the ether!

13th annual Boston National Poetry Month Festival-April 5-7 at BPL

The 13th annual Boston National Poetry Month Festival welcomes you to a three day regional event Friday, April 5 through Sunday, April 7, 2013. This on-growing tradition is a partnership with Tapestry of Voices, the Boston Public Library, and the Kaji Aso Studio.

This major literary program includes over 60 poets,five highly talented high school students- Boston Latin and Boston Arts Academy, and one Harvard student- two open mics and a workshop  facilitated by noted poet Tom Daley.

Festival Hours: Friday, Noon-4:00 P.M.; Sat. 10:00-4:40P.M., Sunday: 1:00P.M.-4:40 P.M. The go to address  for full description and schedule is bostonnationalpoetry.wix.com/poetry. Hope to see YOU there !!

Friday's program will be Noon-4:00P.M. in the Commonwealth Salon Room at the BPL

Ten keynote poets will start this year's poetry festival: David Ferry, winner of the 100,000 Ruth Lilly Prize (2011) and more recently, The National Book Award for poetry, Afaa M. Weaver, one of the foremost African-American Poets writing today- 12 collections and two plays published and produced; Dan Tobin, recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship and an NEA Award with six collections published, X.J. Kennedy, eight collections and twenty childrens' books; George Kalogerisn noted poet and nationally  recognized translator, Rhina P. Espaillat national prize-winning poet with thirteen collections and translations and two short story collections, Richard Hoffman, four collections, plus a memoir  and a collection of short stories; Kathleen Spivack, thirteen collections,plus one short story collection and her current memoir,"With Robert Lowell and his Circle";Judith Steinbergh, Brookline Poet Laureate, three collections,  and Christine Casson whos newest collection was published last year.

Saturday and Sunday's program moves to the Library's Rabb Auditorium There will be five highly talented Boston High School Students plus one Harvard Student; Sam Cornish, Boston's Poet Laureate will begin the popular "Poetry Marathon" followed by 55  major and emerging poets, two Open Mikes, and one workshop.

April 8th: Stone Soup Presents The Head-to-Head Haiku

Stone Soup Poetry meets from 8-10 p.m. every Monday at the Out of The Blue Art Gallery at 106 Prospect Street with an open mike sign-up at 7:30 p.m.  Please consider this a call for participation as Stone Soup plans its second annual Head-to-Head Haiku in celebration of National Poetry Month on April 8th.

Stone Soup is looking for a minimum of 8 poets to participate in his friendly competition. Interested persons should email Stone Soup at stonesouppoetry@yahoo.com or post on this Facebook event page.

Hosted by Michael F. Gill and Chad Parenteau, with possible surprise guest hosts. $3-$5 donation to help pay our rent/support the Out of the Blue Art Gallery.

Haiku is a traditional Japanese poetry form consisting of 17 syllables, commonly with syllable line counts 5-7-5 and normally includes a reference to nature. These pithy poems can be witty, whimsical, and wise. Head to Head Haiku is a performance poetry competition featuring standard and "modern American" haiku. The form was originated by Daniel Ferri (heard often as a commentator on NPR) at the National Poetry Slam in the 1990s as a demonstration event. The tradition has been continued by devotees of the Haiku form. Winning Poets must get the best 3 of 5, 5 of 9 and 9 of 17 in the series of rounds.

Sudden death matches are commonly used as tie breakers or if more than 8 want to compete. The whole show can be quite humorous at times and there is no strict rule other than the poems must be 17 syllables. Purists should rest assured that traditional Haiku often outscore the sarcastic slapstick, but like any slam it depends on the judges and it's more about entertainment and providing a unique environment for the work be heard.

Tom Daley's Play, Every Broom and Bridget--Emily Dickinson and Her Irish Servants--Friday, May 3, 2013 in Salem, MA

Registration is now available for the one-man version of my play, Every Broom and Bridget--Emily Dickinson and Her Irish Servants and the rest of the Massachusetts Poetry Festival (May 3-5, 2013). I will be performing the play on Friday, May 3, 2013 at 2:30 pm in the Sophia Room, Hawthorne Hotel, 18 Washington Square W, Salem, MA 01970.

If you're interested in coming, you'll need to register for a spot at the Massachusetts Poetry Festival website (http://masspoetry2013.crowdvine.com/). Here are the steps--

1) You'll need to set up a profile (name and e-mail)
2) Go to the schedule for Friday, May 3 from 2:30-3:30 pm and click on the green square with a white cross in it next to Every Broom and Bridget--Emily Dickinson and Her Irish Servants.
3) Pay for admission ("Buy a Button") to this and all other events at the festival (May 3, 4, and 5)--$15 general admission, $7 seniors and students. Your name will then be on a list at the door of the Sophia Room at the Hawthorne Hotel (see above) on the day of the show. You should plan to get there 10-15 minutes early. The show will start at 2:30 pm prompt.

Go to the logistics page (http://masspoetry2013.crowdvine.com/pages/logistics) for information about public transportation to Salem from Boston, including commuter rail and MBTA bus. There is also information on parking.

I would encourage you to sign up as soon as possible. I intend to fill all the spots in advance, and the Festival events generally fill very quickly.

Hope you can make it!

Check out all the other exciting events at the Festival, including a performance by Doc Brown's Traveling Poetry Troupe on Saturday, May 4 at 11 am at the first floor of the Old Town Hall in Salem. I'll be performing a couple of my poems in that show.

Let me know if you have any questions. I hope to see you there!

Best regards,

Tom Daley

In a letter to the author after the original performance of the play, Judson Evans, director of the Department of Liberal Arts at the Boston Conservatory, wrote, By grounding Dickinson in a dense social context among the Irish servants who surrounded her, you open up the layers and dimensions of social imagination within her work that are denied by the conventional image of Dickinson’s total interiority and reclusion. You allow her poems to unfold new dimensions of social gesture, irony, and exchange. You create an imaginative space in which Dickinson’s poems can be dramatically spoken as complex authentic communication without this seeming stilted or arcane. By presenting a posthumous Dickinson alive in the multiple memories of the servants who surrounded her you avoid reducing her to a poetic cliché and instead preserve the mystery and otherness of her identity.

April 1st: Pre-Stone Soup Poetry Writing Workshop

I will be leading a workshop today on April 1st, to take place before Stone Soup Poetry from 6:00 PM to just before 8:00 PM at the Au Bon Pain in Central Square, 684 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge.

Please bring a poem of any form and style no more than 1-2 pages. Bring up to 10 copies of your poem to share with the group, and be prepared to share your thoughts on each others work. If you have trouble printing your work, you can email it to me before 5:00 Monday at chadpoetforhire@yahoo.com

Those unable to attend that are interested in future dates please email me.

April 1st: Dennis Daly Features

Stone Soup Poetry meets from 8-10 p.m. every Monday at the Out of The Blue Art Gallery at 106 Prospect Street with an open mike sign-up at 7:30 p.m. On April 1st, we kick off National Poetry Month with a feature by Dennis Daly.

Dennis Daly lives in Salem, Massachusetts. He is included in a chapbook with two other poets published by Northeasten University Press, entitled 10X3. He has been nominated for a 2012 Pushcart Prize. Ibbetson Street Press published The Custom House, his first full length book of poetry in June, 2012. His second book, a verse translation of Sophocles’ Ajax, was recently published by Wilderness House Press. Daly’s third book is set in Salem Massachusetts, and it will shortly be seeking a publisher. 

March 25th: Pre-Stone Soup Poetry Writing Workshop

I will be leading a workshop today on March 25th, to take place before Stone Soup Poetry from 6:00 PM to just before 8:00 PM at the Au Bon Pain in Central Square, 684 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge.

Please bring a poem of any form and style no more than 1-2 pages. Bring up to 10 copies of your poem to share with the group, and be prepared to share your thoughts on each others work. If you have trouble printing your work, you can email it to me before 5:00 Monday at chadpoetforhire@yahoo.com

Those unable to attend that are interested in future dates please email me.

March 25th: Lo Galluccio Features

Stone Soup Poetry meets from 8-10 p.m. every Monday at the Out of The Blue Art Gallery at 106 Prospect Street with an open mike sign-up at 7:30 p.m. On March 25th, we welcome a feature by current finalist in the Cambridge Poet Populist race, Lo Galluccio.  

Lo Galluccio is a vocal artist, memoirist and poet whose roots lie in the Lower East Side of NYC, though she is a Cambridge native and a Harvard graduate. Lo has released three books in Boston, since returning in 2001: “Hot Rain,” a chapbook with illustrations put out by Ibbetson St. Press, “Sarasota VII” a prose-poem memoir published by Cervena Barva Press and “Terrible Baubles” a chapbook on Propaganda Press. Some of the poems in “Terrible Baubles” were set to music or made into songs for a CD released on Studio 234 records this past year, with piano by Eric Zinman and cello by Mobius artist Jane Wang. Lo has two other vocal CDs – “Being Visited” on the Knitting Factory label in NYC, and “Spell on You” self-released in Boston, an avante jazz and blues CD. Her CDs are available at www.cdbaby.com, on Itunes and Rhapsody and can be heard on Spotify.

Her written work is available at the Grolier bookstore. She is currently a finalist for the Poet Populist position in Cambridge and has a reading with Tom Yuill, the other finalist, at that delirium inducing dive bar, the Cantab, on April 3rd at 9 pm. Her websites are www.logalluccio.weebly.com and www.logalluccio.alalla.com.

March 18th: Da Butcha Shoppe Returns to Stone Soup

Stone Soup Poetry meets from 8-10 p.m. every Monday at the Out of The Blue Art Gallery at 106 Prospect Street with an open mike sign-up at 7:30 p.m. On March 18th, Stone Soup features the return of Da Butcha 'shoppe.

Da Butcha 'shoppe rose from the ashes of The Collective and became the premier Poetry Performance Troupe of New England with their ongoing production of "The Alien Chronicles," the story of Captain Quawn and his crew stranded on Earth when their spaceship, the Smada Salguod, crashed in the northern Maine woods. The crash was witnessed by an Air Force officer, Major Warren Pease, who now pursues the the extraterrestrial band as they attempt to escape from Earth as well as plot world domination, and human subjugation via a chain of porn stores that sells adult toys that control the mind.

Cpt Quawn speaks in Poetry, while Mj Pease uses the lingo of the military.

Da Butcha 'shoppe features, Mr. Ethan Mackler on Bass Guitar, Alan Wilbar as, Mj. Pease, and, Da Butcha, as, the Alien.

Da Butcha 'shoppe, the best thing to happen to Poetry since the invention of the microphone.

March 11th: Pre-Stone Soup Poetry Writing Workshop

I will be leading a workshop today on March 11th, to take place before Stone Soup Poetry from 6:00 PM to just before 8:00 PM at the Au Bon Pain in Central Square, 684 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge.

Please bring a poem of any form and style no more than 1-2 pages. Bring up to 10 copies of your poem to share with the group, and be prepared to share your thoughts on each others work. If you have trouble printing your work, you can email it to me before 5:00 Monday at chadpoetforhire@yahoo.com

Those unable to attend that are interested in future dates please email me at chadpoetforhire@yahoo.com

March 11th: Chris Warner & Sue Savoy Feature at Stone Soup

Stone Soup Poetry meets from 8-10 p.m. every Monday at the Out of The Blue Art Gallery at 106 Prospect Street with an open mike sign-up at 7:30 p.m. On March 11th, Michael F. Gill hosts another Stone Soup night and welcomes Stone Soup features Sue Savoy and Chris Warner.

Sue Savoy has been a popular regular at Boston’s Cantab Lounge for the last decade and featured all over New England, including Cantab, Tapestry of Voices, Emerson College, Boston University, Worcester, Manchester, New Hampshire and Portland, Maine. This is her third feature at Stone Soup.

Chris Warner is an emerging poet and sometime-regular at the Boston Poetry Slam at the Cantab Lounge. She is the author of a micro-chapbook, Strokes (Mostly) in Silence, and her work has appeared in The Muddy River Poetry Review, Bagels with the Bards Anthology, Writer’s Digest Annual Poetry Contest Collection, and Ibbetson Street. She was selected to attend the 2012 Southampton Writer’s Conference as a contributor in poetry, with Mary Karr, and her poem, “Engulfed” was nominated for a Pushcart Prize (2013).

A graduate of the Harvard University School of Education, Chris teaches yoga, meditation, and mindfulness-based core strength classes in West Boxford, MA, where she lives with her husband, Mike Maguire, her Himalayan, Pumpkin, and with Sake, the beloved Japanese Chin. She has begun to appear as the feature poet at venues throughout the greater Boston area, and writes, every day—‘ass in seat’—and works, every day, on letting go of attachment to outcome.

March 4th: Pre-Stone Soup Poetry Writing Workshop

I will be leading a workshop today on March 4th, to take place before Stone Soup Poetry from 6:00 PM to just before 8:00 PM at the Au Bon Pain in Central Square, 684 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge.

Please bring a poem of any form and style no more than 1-2 pages. Bring up to 10 copies of your poem to share with the group, and be prepared to share your thoughts on each others work. If you have trouble printing your work, you can email it to me before 5:00 Monday at chadpoetforhire@yahoo.com

Those unable to attend that are interested in future dates please email me at chadpoetforhire@yahoo.com

March 4th: Bill Perrault's Birthday Bash With Walter Howard and R. Wayne Nickerson

Stone Soup Poetry meets from 8-10 p.m. every Monday at the Out of The Blue Art Gallery at 106 Prospect Street with an open mike sign-up at 7:30 p.m. On March 4th, we celebrate the birthday of Stone Soup's own Bill Perrault as he reads with friends.

Bill Perrault has been published in Spoonful, Out of the Blue Writers Unite, and various web pages, and if you are lucky enough to be on his e-mail list, the poetry is Hot Off The Presses! Bill has featured, performed and sometimes hosted at open mikes all over NewEngland--including: COOL COFFEE in Biddeford, ME, Bestseller’s Cafe inMedford, MA his Walden Pond Series and, of course, Out Of the BlueGallery. Bill is a staple figure at the Gallery in Cambridge, MA and has faithfully supported the events they hold there every day/night of the week-- Stone Soup and all.

Walter Howard is a retired history professor, English teacher, and journalist. He is a member of the Longfellow Society, Natick Writers, and the Wayland Poetry Workshop. His poems have appeared in Motive, Longfellow Journal, Ibbetson Street Press, Journal of Modern Writing, Endicott Review, and others. 

R. Wayne Nickerson writes: "I started writing short stories and poetry at Riverview Hopefield School, A boarding school I attended from 1966-1968. I had a great English Teacher, Mr.s Prat, who encouraged her students to read both classics and new writers, which I still do to this day.

I also like to encourage people to do the same. I also paint and enjoy singing. I've been since age five and still own my first book. I started performing mine and others' work three work three years work three years ago. I pray I'll continue to do this for a long, long time. Viva Stone soup, viva fellow writers, good company, good life." 

MONDAY IS THE LAST DAY TO SEND SUBMISSIONS FOR SPOONFUL #7

Current Spoonful Deadline

We are accepting submissions for issue #7 between January 25th and February 25th (with an eye on going online for March).

Submission Guidelines

Spoonful currently accepts by email submission only. Please send 3-5 poems of various forms and length as Word attachments with the word "Submission: Poetry" in the subject heading to stonesouppoetry@yahoo.com before February 25th.

Short works of fiction and non-fiction will also be considered. We are particularly looking for essays that touch on Stone Soup's history or the history of the Boston Poetry scene. Please send an inquiry email describing your prose piece and its length before sending it with the word "Proposed Longer Piece" in the subject heading.

Artwork is also being accepted, though moving forward, there will be fewer pieces accepted.  If your artwork or photography is meant to accompany a submitted poem or prose piece, please let us know in the body of the email.

Illustrators, photographers, and artists of any kind are encouraged to send up to 10 JPEG submissions to the same address with the words "Submission: Artwork" in the subject heading to stonesouppoetry_at_yahoo.com. The artwork's title and medium (if any) should be part of the JPEG file name (example, "Summer, Windphotograph.jpg").

Important

With your submissions, please also include as an attachment document a 2-5 sentence bio (longer bios will be edited at the editors' discretion and without notice).  Please include notice of submissions sent simultaneously to other journals.

A Note On Prior Publication

Our editorial eye will be toward unpublished work but we will considered previously published poems on the basis of merit and/or the previous source (a defunct web journal, a prelude to a larger, new project, etc).

We encourage that you be forthright with a poem's publication history, if any. Spoonful retains the right to reject and remove from our site, without notice, works with previous publication credits intentionally omitted by the author.

Holding Work

Due to our small staff and resources, Spoonful generally does not carry over unaccepted work from one reading period to another. In other words, if the work is rejected for the Winter issue, it will normally not be carried over to be considered for the Spring issue. On the rare occasion that a poem is carried over to be considered for the next reading period, the poet will always be notified. Otherwise, unaccepted submissions will be deleted before the next reading period begins. A poet is always welcome to resubmit any previously rejected work to be considered for a new reading period.

February 25th: Pre-Stone Soup Poetry Writing Workshop

I will be leading a workshop today on February 25th, to take place before Stone Soup Poetry from 6:00 PM to just before 8:00 PM at the Au Bon Pain in Central Square, 684 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge.

Please bring a poem of any form and style no more than 1-2 pages. Bring up to 10 copies of your poem to share with the group, and be prepared to share your thoughts on each others work. If you have trouble printing your work, you can email it to me before 5:00 Monday at chadpoetforhire@yahoo.com

Those unable to attend that are interested in future dates please email me at chadpoetforhire@yahoo.com

February 25th: Black Women Writers Celebrate the Extra MoJo! Anthology

 

Stone Soup Poetry meets from 8-10 p.m. every Monday at the Out of The Blue Art Gallery at 106 Prospect Street with an open mike sign-up at 7:30 p.m. On February 25th, we celebrate the release of Extra Mojo with its contributors, including editor Mignon Ariel King.

Extra MoJo!, the first book of Hidden Charm Press (HCP), is a print collection of poems, memoir, and social commentary essays selected from the first ten issues of the online journal MoJo!

The anthology features 20 writers’ work. The online journal was founded in 2008 to encourage a writing-for-publication focus for the MAPS-ONE workshops run by Boston-born writer Mignon Ariel King (the HCP publisher who also edits MoJo! online).

READERS INCLUDE: Toni Bee, Mignon Ariel King, and Robin G. White